China says US using spy claims to justify technology 'blockade'

Beijing has accused the United States of employing false espionage allegations as a justification to impose a technological "blockade" on China, following claims that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a Chinese espionage operation. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated at a regular briefing, "China's technological progress is driven by independent innovation and open cooperation. The US side should stop fabricating such 'spy' narratives as a pretext for imposing a technological blockade."

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has admitted to engaging in an extramarital affair reportedly with Alice Huang, who is believed to have been a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed and possibly worked for Chinese intelligence. The Nvidia founder has long advocated against restrictions on advanced chip sales to China. In December 2022, US President Donald Trump granted clearance for Nvidia's H200 chips to be exported to China, despite objections from hawkish elements within both political parties who view Beijing as a rival in the AI technology race.

China dismissed the allegations of spying on Huang as "groundless speculation" and described them as an attempt to tarnish China's reputation. This controversy occurs in the lead-up to a meeting scheduled for next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC gathering in Shenzhen, southern China.